One of the themes of this year’s Norwich Festival is solving problems with science.

Scientist who works at the John Innes Centre/The Sainsbury Laboratory. Photo: John Innes Centre/The Sainsbury Laboratory

The theme is sponsored by Norwich Research Park and the incredible work that takes place on the park has made Norwich one of the leading scientific cities in the country.

Science is able to change the world in colossal ways, but we do not all need hi-tech laboratories to make a contribution to the scientific world. Little things we can do will change the world around us. With a touch of know how - you can solve problems with science.

1 Spend less time in the shower - Nothing beats a good shower in the morning to start the day. But spending too much time in the suds can waste water, as with every minute more than two gallons of water is used.

Scientist who works at the John Innes Centre/The Sainsbury Laboratory. Photo: John Innes Centre/The Sainsbury Laboratory

By jumping out that bit earlier you will be conserving water and helping the environment.

Another way to save water is to turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. In the time it takes to clean your teeth nearly three gallons of water is wasted.

Anglian Water will be on hand at the festival with the Anglian Water Activities event. Find out what role science plays in recycling used water, treating it and protecting the environment, with a host of free activities. Thursday, October 26, 10am-4pm, The Forum’s Explorium and outside The Forum.

2Gardening is a great past time - getting the flower beds planted and the hedges trimmed back - getting everything looking spick and span. Planting flowers that attract bees will help their survival by providing pollen. Bees are more attracted to yellows and white and blue-purple flowers. Planting a nice group of flowers, such as lavender, honeysuckle and snapdragons, will allow the bees to collect a lot of pollen to take back to the hive. Find out the un-bee-lievable ways to save the bee at Bee Quest: Saving Bees and the Planet on Thursday, October 26, 4pm-5pm at The Forum’s Auditorium, tickets £5. With Bumblebees being amongst the most important of wild pollinators and numbers declining, how can we make sure they survive?

3 Exercising that little bit more is a great benefit to both body and mind. It is proven that regular exercise can improve your physical and mental health. It can improve your mood as it releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that make you feel better while also burning calories. The Benefits of Activity on Friday, October 27, 11am-midday, at The Forum’s Auditorium, is a great way to find out how to keep active. At the panel discussion, UEA researchers will talk through some of the benefits of physical activity - from lowering blood pressure to alleviating loneliness and depression.

Bee Quest. Picture: Pieter Haringsma

4 It can be tempting to reach for the medicine at the shortest sight of a sniffle. But taking antibiotics for light ailments can make them less effective in the future. If you need to start a course of antibiotics make sure you complete the whole course. We are losing our capacity to treat infections and superbugs are on the rise. March of the Superbugs - How Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Evolve with Dr Mark Webber will explain everything there is to know on the history of antibiotics and explain how Superbugs came to be. Saturday, October 28, 12.30pm-1.30pm, The Forum’s Auditorium, Free, booking essential.